A tribute to our Navy SEAL snipers

By Michelle Malkin  •  April 12, 2009 09:31 PM

Captain Richard Phillips paid tribute to the Navy and the SEAL snipers who shot and killed three pirates during rescue operations today.

Here’s a video clip from a recent documentary on Navy SEAL snipers. God bless ‘em:

The Navy SEALs page is here.

***

Details from Bloomberg News:

Sharpshooters firing from the fantail of a U.S. Navy destroyer killed three pirates holding an American cargo-ship captain in a lifeboat, ending a five-day ordeal that unfolded amid a surge in piracy off Somalia’s coast.

Richard Phillips, 53, captain of the Maersk Alabama, was untied, pulled from the lifeboat and brought unharmed aboard the USS Bainbridge, said Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

The Navy acted because Phillips’s life was threatened by pirates who were aiming weapons at him, Gourtney said. The on- scene commander “had seconds” to make a decision, he said.

…The Bainbridge had the lifeboat under tow shortly after 7 p.m. local time, roughly an hour after sunset, according to Gortney and a Navy press release. The vessel was 25 to 30 meters away when special forces commandos opened fire, Gortney said.

“We pay a lot for their training,” Gortney said of the snipers. “We got a good return on their investment tonight.”

***

WaPo reports on how the SEALs mission unfolded.

Posted in: War

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Comments


  1. #675492
    On April 13th, 2009 at 2:49 pm, lgm said:

    happyscrapper said (#16):

    I know we give Obama a lot of guff, and rightfully so…but I do have to give him some credit for this.

    So is most of the country. AP writes, quoted here,

    Obama’s handling of the crisis showed a president who was comfortable in relying on the U.S. military, much as his predecessor, George W. Bush, did.

    But it also showed a new commander in chief who was willing to use all the tools at his disposal, bringing in federal law enforcement officials to handle the judicial elements of the crisis.

    The rescue appeared to vindicate Obama’s muted but determined handling of the incident. What won’t be known for some time is whether Obama will benefit politically.

  2. #675515
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:20 pm, Cosmo said:

    Love it. Shoot first. Negotiate with the “moderate” pirates later.

    I’m assuming the pirate that was off-ship at the time, regardless of his initial thoughts, was instantly transformed into a “moderate” pirate.

    Aaar!

  3. #675516
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:23 pm, nail49 said:

    What won’t be known for some time is whether Obama will benefit politically.

    Why should anyone benefit politically?

    As a nation we will benefit because pirates and their ilk will learn from the mistake of “messing with the nation” who can and does actually fight goons and thugs — except when the White House is occupied by spineless wimps like Carter (Iran) and Clinton (Somalia).

    If I were in Capt Phillips’ shoes I would refuse any invite to go to the White House (no matter who the current occupant was) and would instead insist the CNO go to represent the SEALs — who wouldn’t go in order to preserve their anonymity — and accept the honors due them.

  4. #675521
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:31 pm, ScottyDog said:

    What took so long.

    This is the kind of mission that the Navy Seals and Delta Force train for all the time.These guys can make head shots at over a mile all day long.

    Once given the go a ahead, they did their job well.

    “the American crew of the Maersk says that they waited too long before they had help from the U.S. Navy”

    I think Barry Soetoro should learn from India how they take care of the Pirates that threaten their vessels here.

    Not only did they sink the pirates vessel, they chased them all the way back to port.

    They did not wait a week trying to talk to the terrorists from keeping the captain.

  5. #675531
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:42 pm, tbear44 said:

    God bless ‘em:

    Yes! Way to go SEALs!

  6. #675532
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:42 pm, tbear44 said:

    God bless ‘em:

    Yes! Way to go SEALs!

  7. #675540
    On April 13th, 2009 at 3:59 pm, FirstSkirt said:

    Salutes to every SEAL for a fantastic job. I’m sure they said, “Hey, on our lunch hour, let’s take out that pirate scum!” Met a couple of them during my AF time – quiet, confident, professional, just like DerKreiger said. Thanks SEAL Team and Navy!

  8. #675546
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:07 pm, BadIdeaGuy said:

    Thank God we have people serving under our flag like these SEAL snipers.

    I’m grateful that we got Capt Phillips back.

    It was interesting and I felt it was under-reported that part of the ship’s cargo was carrying food aid for Catholic Relief Services intended for poor Rwandans.

    This in the holy week that our President made his historic first Presidential visit to a house of worship to a mosque (the O’s hadn’t been to church since the election?), declared that we are not a Christian nation, and appointed a man to his faith-based and neighborhood (ACORN?) initiative who’s referred to the Pope as a “discredited leader”.

    Nice.

  9. #675557
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:14 pm, Salt said:

    The author of the AP piece that lgm references is Jennifer Loven.

  10. #675565
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:20 pm, Teddy Kennedy said:

    Arrrrrrgh, no pieces of eight but only pieces of lead for yeeee matey!

  11. #675566
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:20 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On April 12th, 2009 at 10:33 pm, bjc said:
    *And Jessie Ventura begat Al Franken; Thanks Minnesota.

    Um…don’t lump Jesse Ventura in with Al Franken. They have completely different political views. Jesse is a Libertarian with some strange views and a big temper. Franken is a moron, that’s all. Just a moron. Big difference!

  12. #675571
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:24 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On April 12th, 2009 at 10:38 pm, WarEagle82 said:
    Minnesota deserves the blame for voting for the idiot Al Franken but had the GOP stuck to principles while they were in power we would not be facing the prospects of Senator Al Franken.

    You are absolutely right! Jesse Ventura ran against “Skip” Humphrey and Norm Coleman, our illustrious Senator from this great state, who has voted on the wrong side of many important issues. I had no choice but to vote for Jesse. I guess a lot of Minnesotans felt the same way. Jesse did a decent job for Minnesota, but was very touchy and HATED the press (a good thing, in my opinion).

  13. #675575
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:28 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On April 13th, 2009 at 9:16 am, Hannibal said:
    #16 On April 12th, 2009 at 10:25 pm, happyscrapper said:

    … He was instructed not to make a statement…that is why we hadn’t heard from him….
    Who instructed him Happy, MO or Pelosi or Axlerod or Rahm ? Let us know so we will all know who is really running the country. Since when do we need a president who takes instructions?

    You are right, of course! Point taken.

  14. #675582
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:33 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On April 13th, 2009 at 11:58 am, pueblo1032 said:
    Nice work SEALS!!! I know I am the first to find fault with B. HUSSEIN, but I have to give him KUDOS on this one!!! Hope this gives the rest of the world the BALLS to stop this extortion on the high seas… As to MN, and their former GUV, a NAVY SEAL turned wrestler, turned actor, turned GUV, turned TRUTHER??? Yeah, that’s something to be proud of… OH, and don’t forget AL FRANKEN… Walk TALL MN…

    I do walk tall as a Minnesotan…thank you very much. Oh, and Pueblo, is there some compelling reason why you feel the need to use so many capitals in your posts? They distract from your message and lose their potency when used too much. Just a friendly suggestion from a proud Minnesotan.

  15. #675587
    On April 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm, Teddy Kennedy said:

    Errah, I think the Navy Seal Snipers are now going “Green”!!!! Returning Pirate scum back to the ground from which they came since April 2009″. Pieces O’ Lead instead of Pieces O’ Eight. Put that last remaining SOB in the life raft with his commrades and give him a paddle to return home with.

  16. #675624
    On April 13th, 2009 at 5:14 pm, iamgman said:

    How exactly is Obama seen as decisive in this when he took so long to allow the commander on the scene to attempt to rescue the captain only if he thought he was in imminent danger of being shot. I would hope the commander would take it upon himself to take action without waiting for orders if he thought the captain was about to be killed.

    The only way he could hamstring them any worse would be to tell them to take no action for any reason. Or to go way out there, order the captain shot!

  17. #675728
    On April 13th, 2009 at 9:27 pm, garydt said:

    LGM, its no big deal that the AP would give BO kudos for this operation. After all and by this time don’t you already know that the MSM is in the tank with BO? I just hope the Seals and other similar groups are not on the chopping block of things to trim down on BO’s military budget.

  18. #675750
    On April 13th, 2009 at 10:14 pm, corona said:

    some more details, which of course, contradict what has been reported previously

  19. #675754
    On April 13th, 2009 at 10:17 pm, corona said:

    more from MM’s favorite birdcage liner:

    The Defense Department twice sought Mr. Obama’s permission to use force to rescue Captain Phillips, most recently on Friday night, senior defense officials said. On Saturday morning, the president agreed, they said, if it appeared that the captain’s life was in imminent danger.

  20. #677643
    On April 15th, 2009 at 2:04 pm, Chesapeaekegal said:

    We should finish the job now and go to Somalia and take out their land bases.

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